Timely, practical and accurate detection and classification of arthropods is crucial in many instances. There are many species of arthropods, particularly among the insects and mites, that cause significant damage and loss to plants, wood and fiber and transmit pathogens among people and other animals. The efficient, accurate and timely detection of arthropod pests is a key factor in managing their populations and limiting the damage and injury they cause. Detection is necessary to determine: 1) arthropod presence or absence; 2) their classification to a certain taxonomic category such as genus or species; 3) their relative or absolute numbers; 4) a critical period in the arthropod pest's life cycle that is amenable to control measures; and, 5) significant phases in the relationship between the arthropod and the organism that it affects.
Estimates of arthropod pest numbers are necessary to decide whether control measures are warranted and detection of the various life stages of a pest suggests when control techniques will be most effective. Associating pest numbers and the pest's life cycle to periods when the host is most vulnerable to injury is also critical in pest management. In addition to insect pests there are many beneficial insect, spider and mite predators that need to be sampled as part of a pest management program. There is also need for a more expeditious technology to classify arthropods in ecological studies. Thus, the sampling of arthropod populations in various habitats is an integral part of such diverse fields as ecological studies, crop protection and human health.